AUSTIN, Texas — Texas is about to make its debut in the Southeastern Conference, and the Associated Press preseason college football poll has the Longhorns at a respectable No. 4 on the list.

What You Need To Know

  • The Associated Press has placed Texas at No. 4 in its 2024 preseason college football poll

  • It's the first time the Longhorns have ranked in the top five in a preseason poll since 2009

  • The ranking comes as Texas prepares to debut in the SEC

  • Texas boasts a formidable quarterback in Quinn Ewers but lost running back CJ Baxter to an injury for the season 

All the movement created an unprecedented preseason poll with just four conferences represented: The SEC leads with nine ranked teams. The Big Ten has six, the Big 12 has five and the ACC has four.

Georgia, which is also in the SEC, landed at No. 1. The complete list is:

  1. Georgia
  2. Ohio State
  3. Oregon
  4. Texas
  5. Alabama
  6. Ole Miss
  7. Notre Dame
  8. Penn State
  9. Michigan
  10. Florida State

This marks the first time Texas has been ranked in the preseason top five since 2009. The team is coming off an appearance in the College Football Playoff and has a powerhouse in quarterback Quinn Ewers. His backup, Arch Manning, has one of the most recognizable last names in football.

One problem the team has is running back CJ Baxter injured a knee in practice last week and will miss the 2024 season.

Baxter will have surgery, but no other details about the injury were provided by the school.

Baxter in 2023 was the first Longhorn freshman tailback to start a season opener since Ricky Williams in 1995

Texas hosts Colorado State on Aug. 31.